Keika: Star-Child
by Firework Warrior
Summary: When a young humanoid Vahki discovers her power over light, her world is turned upside down. Will she embrace her destiny as a Star-Child?
1. Author's Notes

This is an AU of Metru Nui. Here are the Top 10 differences between the original and the AU:

1\. Vahki are on the good side and have their own thoughts/personalities. Also, they're organized in ranks, like in the military. They're my favorite type of Bionicle... turning them to the shadows was wrong, in my mind. Maybe it's because all the police I've run into have been nice to me.

2\. The city is ruled by a royal family instead of a Turaga. Termina is the queen. She technically has more power than Idenu, the king. Then there's Mina, the crown princess... that girl's a handful! They live in a palace.

3\. "Humanoids" (self-explanatory) exist alongside "full bloods" (regular Bionicle types, like Toa and Matoran.) This doesn't mean they get along all the time, but there aren't too many problems. A genetic anomaly means approximately half of the male population doesn't have full anatomy.

4\. Toa Metru have always been Toa Metru. None of the chaos where six Matoran turned into Toa and the Vahki went after them. Of course, this doesn't mean Matau doesn't get in trouble for his characteristic "Toa-hero" stunts...

5\. None of those nasty vines, I have my own villains/antagonists. One of the antagonists, Maxine, is a popular humanoid girl... with an acidic attitude. No villains in this particular story.

6\. They're not referred to as Bionicle, but collectively called "four-hearts." That's because they have four hearts - well, one's a heartlight, one's a regular heart, two are nodes.

7\. Four-hearts don't start fully grown. They're born or "come in the night." As they grow older, they reach a certain age called "prime of life" or POL. In other words, their bodies are at peak fitness and they stop aging. For our protagonist Keika, POL is 17 years old (but that's a ways off, she's only 7 in this story).

8\. Since they're born and grow from there, four-hearts go to school; Vahki schools are called "training centers." They're divided into different levels. There are also summer camps - mostly day camps at the training centers/schools/university. But there are also a few sleep-aways in parts of the city that aren't so developed.

9\. Portals mean that characters can drop in from other universes. For example, Keika has a friend named Laney. Laney is actually Mulan, but a Portal accident brought her to Metru Nui and her name was changed for "safety."

10\. No earthquake, no Matoran getting trapped in spheres, no Visorak overrunning the place. Metru Nui is a beautiful island city and I cried when I saw what became of it in the original story.

Finally, I don't own Bionicle. I do have a few OC, like Keika and her family.

Now... close your eyes... concentrate on the City of Legends... and let the Portal of writing take you to this fantastic world.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chase Household**

 **May 12**

 **14h00**

Aédynyu walked in the door and sighed loudly. Another day in Ta-Metru, another string of chaos.

"What's wrong, honey?" asked Aislina.

"I'm training a new medic named Taido."

Aislina motioned "go on."

"Taido is all you could ask for in a medic. Intelligent, learns quickly, physically fit, compassionate yet sensible… perfect. Except for one thing."

"Which is?"

Aédynu rolled his eyes. "He can't open doors correctly. Today he pulled one right off the hinges."

"I hope he learns." Aislina shook her head.

Just then, Aédynu's phone rang. He whipped it out of his tool belt and looked at the caller ID. It was a call from the Little Chasers Training Center. Better answer it.

"Hello?" he began.

The other end crackled a bit before an answer. "Hello, this is Ms. Jiyai. May I speak with Aislina?"

"Yes, Ms. Jiyai. Here she is." said Aédynu. He passed off the phone to Aislina.

"Hello?" Aislina tried to conceal her growing annoyance. Ms. Jiyai was a fairly new instructor. She didn't take the time to know the Chase kids on the first day, a mistake that cost her dearly. Now it was almost summer break, and all the students were restless.

"Hello, Aislina. Something happened today that you should know about."

"Don't tell me Keyok ended up in the nurse's office again…"

"Well, he did, but that's not why I'm calling."

"Then… what did you want to tell me?"

"Today was Jaunea's birthday. As we were passing out goody bags, another trainee wanted Jaunea's and took it. That trainee is currently awaiting discipline… but so is Keika."

Aislina almost lost her patience. "You've been teaching those trainees not to be bystanders and to stick up for kids who are hurt in any way. If you think Keika deserves discipline for helping a friend, then you're…"

Ms. Jiyai interrupted. "Does practically blinding a fellow student count as helping?"

 **LCTC (Little Chasers Training Center)**

 **Earlier, same day**

Ms. Jiyai was passing out the goody bags. Jaunea went first, since she was the birthday girl. But while the instructor's back was turned, Maxine snatched Jaunea's goody bag.

"Hey, that's mine!" protested Jaunea.

"Not anymore, freak!" taunted Maxine.

Keika had been reading. But when she heard the argument, she decided to intervene. "Maxine, leave her alone!"

Maxine wasn't deterred. She tried to open the goody bag. Jaunea snatched it back, trying to put on a tough façade.

"You're a freak too." added Maxine. "Nobody else has yellow hair."

Although nobody wanted to admit it, Maxine was right. Keika was literally the only humanoid whose hair wasn't some shade of dark brown or black. Instead, it was bright blonde.

Maxine had just committed two grave offenses in Keika's book. First, nobody was going to mess with Jaunea, a close-friend-almost-sister, and get away with it. Second, Keika was self-conscious about her blonde hair. She decided to give Maxine one last warning.

"If you don't leave us alone…" threatened Keika. She drew her fists to her sides as if she were about to deal a double-punch.

"Yeah, right." Maxine brushed it off.

That did it for Keika. Instead of punching, she thrust her hands forward in a double palm strike. The minute her hands flung open, blinding celestial rays shot from her palms and fingers! Maxine was thrown backwards from an unknown impact.

The rest of the students and Ms. Jiyai all shielded their eyes. Keika drew her hands back and the light dimmed.

"How did you do that?!" Jaunea could barely believe what she had just seen.

Keika looked at her still-glowing hands. "I… don't know…"


	3. Chapter 2

**Chase Household**

 **May 12**

 **15h30**

"Maxine's a bully." Keika asserted. "And I'm not going to tell anyone I'm sorry. Because I'm not sorry. Not at all."

"Keika…" Aislina tried to restrain herself. She was conflicted. On one hand, Maxine was hurt. On the other hand, Keika had done justice.

"You always tell me that when I say sorry, I have to mean it. Otherwise it's a lie."

"Keika." said Aislina quietly. "I don't want you to lie. But there's something more important here."

Keika went silent.

Aislina looked away. "I knew this day would come, but it came sooner than I thought." She took a deep breath, and looked at Keika. "Keika… there's something I need to tell you."

"What...?"

"You know how you came from the heart stars of the Celestial Kerai?"

"Yes."

"That means you're a Star-Child."

"Keyok and Haidie came from the Celestial Kerai too. Are they Star-Children?"

"No, Keika. You're the only one. It's why you had that aura when you were younger, and why your hair is such a beautiful color."

"That means I have power over light too, like the Toa have power over the elements." Keika concluded.

"Yes, Keika. But a lot of power comes with a lot of responsibility. You have to be careful."


	4. Chapter 3

**Outside the Royal Palace**

 **May 14**

 **11h00**

"It's all right, Keika-khi." reassured Aislina. "The queen is very kind."

"I hope you're right…" Keika looked up at the palace towers. She felt uncomfortable, especially in this new, fancy outfit.

A sleeveless maxi dress with high slits up the sides of the skirt provided freedom of movement. It was made of emerald-green silk. Cream-hued tights with green and gold starburst embroidery added a modest touch. The tights placed in gold flats that were perfectly sized. Her hair was braided flawlessly and held with a sparkling ribbon.

"Can you come with me?"

"I wish I could. But this is not my moment. This is all yours."

Six of the Royal Guards came. There was one of each type of Vahki. Their armor was purely the metal of their district, rather than the usual coloration.

"Come with us, Star-Child." said the Vorzahk. His golden armor reflected the sun and glinted into Keika's eyes. After a few self-inflicted blindings, Keika was used to it.

"Please," said Aislina, "call her Keika."

"Very good." This time the Zadahk spoke. His copper armor glowed like the sunset.

"You mean very well?" interjected the Bordahk, her silver armor shining like moonlight on the canals.

The bronze-armored Nuurahk had a chuckle. Meanwhile, the pewter-armored Rorzahk exchanged sly glances with the platinum-armored Keerahk.

Finally, all six nodded at each other. They then turned to Keika. "Keika, come with us."

"Bye, Mom..." Keika's starry demeanor was being sucked into a black hole. Aislina gave Keika one more hug, then walked away.

Keika couldn't believe it. These were the best of the best, chosen to guard the Royal Family. And now they were guarding her.

"Hello, Keika." said a sweet female voice. Keika immediately knelt and bowed her head. That was Termina, Metru Nui's queen.

"Your Leadership…" began Keika.

"Please, call me Termina. Also, it won't hurt to stand up and look me in the eye."

Keika nervously raised her head and stood up. With that, she marveled at Termina's beauty.

Termina's dress reminded Keika of the green _ruqun_ Mulan wore at the beginning of the first movie, as far as the overall style. But the fabric and colors were completely different. It looked like it was woven from celestial energy and the essence of royalty. Various hues of gold and yellow, with accents of amethyst and lilac, complemented Termina's extremely fair skin.

Her hip-length dark hair was in a half-up bun, held with a golden crown hairpiece. The hairpiece was adorned with six gems, each set in a different metal, to represent the six districts of the city. The first from the left was an emerald, set in gold, for Le-Metru. The second was a moonstone, set in platinum, for Ko-Metru. The third was a sapphire, set in silver, for Ga-Metru. The fourth was a citrine, set in copper, for Po-Metru. The fifth was a ruby, set in bronze, for Ta-Metru. The sixth was an onyx, set in pewter, for Onu-Metru.

"You look lovely." whispered Keika.

"You look lovely as well." complimented Termina. "Come in." She gestured to the guards to exit. They obeyed. Keika followed Termina into the palace - still unsure of what was happening.

 **Garden of the Elements**

 **Same day**

 **13h00**

After lunch, Keika followed Termina outside. They stopped outside an elaborate wrought-iron gate. Upon closer inspection, the patterns were the symbols of the six elements: fire, water, air, earth, stone, and ice. They circled a seventh pattern Keika had never seen - a ring of shooting stars around two suns. The gate was locked.

"Your Leadership…" Keika began. Termina put up a hand.

"Please, call me Termina." she said serenely.

"Are you sure?" Keika sounded nervous.

Termina laughed. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Very well… Termina."

"You don't have to speak formally around me." Termina pointed. "I actually prefer when children show their innocence."

"OK, Termina." Keika managed to smile.

"That's more like it. Now, could you please open the gate?"

"But I don't have a key…"

Termina stood back and nodded. Keika took that as a cue that there wasn't a key. Maybe she'd have to use these newfound powers...

Keika traced each element symbol with her index finger. Nothing happened - until she placed her hands over the center, at the seventh symbol.

The shooting stars started glowing at the heads, and the light circled around in a rhythm. It spread to the rays of the two suns. Keika was hypnotized by the motion.

Out of nowhere, a voice echoed in Keika's head…

"Focus, my Star-Child. Focus. You must control the light, not the other way around."

Keika didn't know who was speaking to her. Whoever this was, he or she gave good advice. Her hands took on an aura and the light flowed into the entire gate. With a golden flash, the gate opened!

"What… what did I do?"

"You opened the gate, Keika." said Termina, snapping Keika out of her trance. "Now we can go in."

Keika decided not to tell Termina about the helpful voice. With that, they entered the Garden of the Elements.

At first glance, it looked a lot like a garden Keika saw in a book on Japan. It wasn't contrived and artificial like a European garden. It was a small-scale model of nature… with some Metru Nui flair.

The garden, like the city, was divided into six sections. Each section represented one of the six elements: fire, water, air, earth, stone, and ice.

The first section was the Fire Garden. It had three small fire pits, from which flowed three streams of molten bronze. The streams collected into a pond that boiled like a metallic hot spring. There was a bridge over the streams, made of dark igneous rock. A bench that matched the bridge sat under a Flame-Blossom Tree. The tree was fairly small, with grainy, ash-gray bark. It had crinkled leaves that blazed in perpetual autumn colors, and sharp vertical flowers that started white at the base and turned to scarlet at the top. The ground was covered with eruption fragments in deep reds and shades of warm gray.

The second section was the Water Garden. Part of it was slightly elevated, where a pond became a waterfall. The waterfall, in turn, fed a small lake. Lotuses graced the lake, while river rocks surrounded it. A bench made of glittering light gray granite was surrounded by sea grasses and lilies, with a Sea Magnolia making a canopy. The almost-white bark had a subtle wave pattern, with waxy seafoam-green leaves and cupped flowers the same brilliant blue as a tropical ocean. Green-and-blue sea glass and smooth gray pebbles graced the ground.

The third section was the Air Garden. Three small fountains were placed around it. The fountains each had an abstract sculpture in the center. One of them looked like two Toa embracing, another like two Vahki in pursuit, still another like two Matoran dancing. Glass mobiles hung delicately from verdant bushes, swaying and circling in the breeze. A bench made of yellow marble was placed under a Whirlwind Maple. The light yellowish-gray bark peeled off in swirling patterns like ribbons; feather-like emerald leaves crowned the branches. Uncut green-and-white streaked stones with flecks of gold made Keika feel like she was literally walking on sunshine.

The fourth section was the Earth Garden. It had three springs that bubbled up and flowed into a reflecting pool. Square-leafed, greenish-black ivy with pewter-hued veins covered some of the ground. A bench made of polished black stone was surrounded with flowers in deep purple and midnight blue, with a Cavern Oak for shade. The knotted trunk stood up like a stalagmite, with dark brownish-gray bark and the deepest green leaves. The ground that wasn't covered by the ivy had the same black stones as the bench, with some semi-precious stones throughout.

The fifth section was the Stone Garden. No water could be found. Instead, sunrise-hued desert flowers graced the landscape, sustained by hidden irrigation. The ground was covered in sand of all colors, swirled into patterns. Paths were bordered with rocks in various shapes and sizes. A bench made of sandstone, surrounded by more flowers, was kept cool by a Desert Pine. The bark was rough and in endless shades of brown; the way the tree grew pushed the evergreen branches over the bench.

The sixth section was the Ice Garden. Although the surrounding area was warm, something kept the Ice Garden barely thawed. Three reflecting pools were frozen over, making perfect ice mirrors. Short evergreens glistened with frost and small icicles, catching the light and tossing back tiny rainbows. The paths were bordered by snow-blossoms, freely spreading flowers in various shades of pink. A bench made of sparkling quartz crystal was covered by a Winter Fir. The bark was a cool pale gray with a texture like cracked ice, and glassy blue needles that reflected the light.

"It's beautiful." breathed Keika. She stood in the center.

"Thank you." said Termina. "You're wondering about the Ice Garden, I take it?"

"Yes." Keika looked again and focused a bit. When the sunlight hit the area, it bounced off. "An invisible barrier?"

"Most people can't see it," said Termina, "but maybe you can. Focus on how the light is bouncing."

Keika squinted and really focused. The sunlight was coming down like a heavy rain, little particles coming together and making wavy sheets. It rolled down the sides as if going off a dome. She focused harder, and saw a glowing mist surrounding the garden. Some of the sunlight radiated from the mist, just enough to keep the garden alive.

"Ow…" she groaned. "My head hurts."

"You've seen it, Keika. You can stop focusing."

Keika blinked. The mist disappeared, and the sunlight came normally. Her headache went away.

"You can sense the light and how it moves." said Termina. "Can you sense it inside of you?"

Keika closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She heard the voice again:

"Star-Child, your entire body holds the light. Let it rush through your bloodstream. Let it spark up and down your nerves. Let it find a rhythm in your four hearts. Let it put a shine to your hair and a glow to your skin."

"I feel it." Keika whispered. "It's the best feeling in the world!"

Termina put her hand on Keika's now-glowing shoulder. "Good. You can find the light inside and outside." Keika opened her eyes and realized she was surrounded by an aura. It felt like the binary suns, the stars, the moon - all together.

"Termina?" she asked. Her glow gradually dimmed until she was back to normal.

"Yes, Keika?"

"Someone is talking to me. Like when I opened the gate, they told me to focus and control the light instead of letting it control me."

"And when you asked if I could sense the light inside, they said my entire body holds the light."

Termina smiled. "There's only one person who knows how much light you have, and she's in the stars."

Realization dawned. Aislina had to know.


	5. Chapter 4

**LCTC (Little Chasers Training Center)**

 **May 17**

 **10h00**

Five days.

Five days since Keika accidentally blasted Maxine with light.

Five days.

Five days for gossip to spread around the training center and twist into a mess.

Five days.

Five days of trying to live a ordinary life and discovering life was not meant to be ordinary.

Today was Keika's birthday. The past shouldn't have mattered. Yet here she was, walking down the hall with her three closest friends - Jaunea, Katrine, and Laney. And the past had words.

"I heard Maxine had to go to the eye doctor after Keika blasted her."

"Well, I heard Keika has a crush on Metaru Shontai, and lights up when he smiles at her."

"Like a light bulb!"

"Yeah!"

"Here she comes."

"And here come her three weird friends."

"You - leave us alone." Laney didn't sound as intimidating as she would have liked to. But where her voice failed, her motion and posture made up for it.

"Oh, the princess actually talks." mocked one of the gossipers.

Laney wasn't having it. She turned her back fast enough that her long, thick braid acted as a whip.

"OW!" That knocked one of them over. Not wanting to land in the nurse's office from a worse injury, she got up and left. Laney looked rather satisfied.

Katrine snapped something in French that sounded like a threat. One of the loudmouths backed down and left, knowing that it was indeed a threat.

That just left one jerk. Jaunea had a warning: "I know where the trainer keeps batons."

The path was clear.

"Thanks…" Keika felt weakened.

"Hey, this isn't about the light thing, is it?" asked Katrine.

"Yes - I mean, no - I mean… kind of." Keika tried to breathe. "It's how they're reacting."

Her three friends put on encouraging smiles. "It's your birthday, Keika. Shine on!"

"You're the best." Keika beamed - literally.

 _LCTC Playground_

 _Same day_

 _14h00, Recess Period_

Near the slide, a Nuurahk trainee named Pikras waited for something to happen. Pikras was a Junior Guard. Junior Guards were older, more mature trainees - usually in Primary Training, or upper-level LC. They were tasked with helping younger trainees and reporting to the security staff in case of trouble. Naturally, the position was a huge status boost.

Rather than using his authority responsibly, Pikras abused it. After all, you can't get in trouble with the rules if you are the rules. He figured he was immune to mistakes.

But his next move was a big mistake. He saw Haidie playing "secret agents" with some of her friends.

"Agent 1, do you have it?" asked Celeste from her toy communication radio.

Haidie grinned, slowly reaching into her pocket. "Affirmative, Agent 3."

"Hey, aren't you a little old to be playing secret agents?" interrupted Pikras.

"It's good practice!" retorted Celeste, immediately breaking character.

"Yeah, right." Pikras turned to Haidie. "Have you heard about Keika?"

Haidie looked downright angry. She whipped a small flashlight from her pocket and pointed it at Pikras.

"Oh, a flashlight. Cute." Pikras wasn't deterred. That is, until Haidie turned on the flashlight to full power, wide beam. The light struck Pikras in both eyes. His jade green eyes flashed like an arcade game and he fell hard on the playground sand.

Haidie stood over Pikras like a tiger over a kill. "You think that's bad? You don't want to know what my big sister can do!" She put the flashlight back in her pocket and strode off.

 **Chase Household**

 **Same day**

 **15h30**

Aédynu managed to get off work early that day. He walked into the door and gave Aislina a kiss. "How was your day?" he asked.

"It was - interesting." Aislina rolled her amber eyes.

"Did Keyok get in trouble again?"

"No, surprisingly." Aislina dropped her volume. "But he's going to be."

Aédynu looked over at Keyok, who was reading to Haidie in the kitchen. It was a junior novelization of a TV show that Haidie liked.

"Keyok, that's not how the episode goes!" Haidie protested.

Keyok slammed the book onto the table. "Fine! You read it!"

"Keyok!"

"Dad, reading to her is annoying! I'm trying to do something nice and she…"

Aédynu gave Keyok a look that clearly meant "stop talking."

"This isn't about the book. This is about how Haidie got her hands on an assault flashlight."

"Keyok gave it to me!" piped Haidie.

Aislina noticed Aédynu was about to lose his patience. She pulled him back by the left gauntlet, making sure her thumb pressed into his wrist. "You are not going to make an example of our son." she ordered.

Aédynu's temper deflated. "Yes dear, whatever you say… can you let go of my hand now?"

"Very well. I'll deal with this."

Keika came inside last - to a somewhat amusing sight. Her father's left wrist guard had a minor dent - thankfully filling itself back out. Her mother was giving Haidie and Keyok a talk on "not sharing weapons except in absolute emergencies."

"What's this about sharing weapons?" she asked.

Haidie turned around. "Dad gave Keyok a really bright flashlight and Keyok gave it to me. Pikras was saying mean things about you so I used the flashlight."

Keika gestured to Haidie. The sisters shared a smirk. After that, Keika gave praise - and instruction. "Good work. Next time, let me handle him!"


	6. Chapter 5

**Ga-Metru Gardens, Stargazer Hill**

 **May 18**

 **3h00**

Stargazer Hill was very close to the Chase home. Many nights in the past, Aislina would bring Keika here to watch the stars. The little one was always drawn to light. She would spin around and leap, eyes skyward in wonder as the stars danced around her. Then she would fall on the soft grass, dizzy but still looking up to watch the stars settle. These moments were perfect.

Now, Keika was out on the hill all by herself. She wanted to dance again. But something made her stand still. She closed her eyes, once more feeling the light in her and around her.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Still.

Silent.

"Star-Child, Keika, don't fall asleep on me."

Keika's eyes snapped open. Above her, the stars danced into a pattern. The pattern soon became connected by celestial trails. They continued swirling and spinning until…

"Celestial Kerai…" Keika breathed. She began to kneel.

"Stand up, Keika-khi. And please - call me Vahkya."

Keika did so. She lost what others would call a sense of reverence. Then again, Vahkya was family.

"Vahkya," asked Keika, "why did you pick me to be a Star-Child? Why not someone else?"

"Everyone has a different way to destiny." explained Vahkya. "You were born a Star-Child, but what you make of it is up to you."

Keika looked up, stretching out her hand to the sky. "Do you like the sky?"

"Yes." said Vahkya. "There's a beautiful garden here in the sky. It reminds me of the city I watch over."

"Could I see it?"

Vahkya nodded and stretched out her hand. A shooting star flew to where Keika stood and carried her heavenwards. The place was brilliant, yet not blinding. And she felt weightless - like she was standing and flying at the same time.

The garden couldn't hold Keika's interest for long. She looked in the distance and saw lush emerald hills. Something about those hills called her.

"Not yet, Keika." said Vahkya gently. She was no longer in constellation form, but still heavenly - tall, strong, clothed in light. "You'll visit those hills when you ascend in summers."

"I want to see them now!" Keika was more impatient than usual.

"This summer, you will. It's almost your time."

"Can I see more of my story?"

"Not past those hills."

Keika squinted at the hills. They looked so perfect. She opened her eyes fully again. Vahkya looked serious.

"Mom has to know that I saw you." said Keika.

"She will."

Keika felt herself getting heavy. She panicked. "Vahkya! What's going on?"

"You can't stay in the stars forever. Not yet."

Keika grabbed for Vahkya's hand. Nothing - empty space.

"Goodbye… I love you…"

 **Stargazer Hill**

 **Same day**

 **05h45**

"Keika? What are you doing out here before sunrise?"

Keika opened her eyes. She was laying on the grass of Stargazer Hill, with Aislina standing over her.

"I met Vahkya."

Aislina went quiet. She looked over the hill to the sky. A few glimmers of sunrise appeared.

"Keika-khi, can you stand?"

Any signs of tiredness left. Keika jumped to her feet. She dashed down the hill, flying without wings. The golden sunrise charged her with pure energy.

Keika had discovered a truth, and resolved to act on it. Being a Star-Child was a gift. She was ready to open it right now.


End file.
